Can you name this film?

[silverferox]

On British TV (circa 1981) I had the good fortune to see a film about a 'hood' terrorizing a local community, specifically an old folks apartment block in America. Said hood's cronies would chant something like "Doum, doum, the King, (pause) Doum, doum, the King", to jeer him on. It seemed to work.
Any member know this movie and its DVD availability? (I would say its got to be quite well known in certain circles). Thanks.

[django1963]

I would hazard a guess its either BOARDWALK or HOMEBODIES?

[guthrie!]

Homebodies sounds on the right track, though it also sounds like Tenement: Roberta Findlay-'84/'87?

[silverferox]

Its BOARDWALK (Stephen Verona, 1979).
You are a star django1963!

As far as I can tell, its not on DVD.

The following paragraphs I have cut and pasted from a Coney Island Film Festival special event advert dated Sunday Oct. 8th, 2006:

The Coney Island Film Festival is delighted to present the first public screening in 27 years of Stephen Verona's BOARDWALK. Don't miss your opportunity finally to see this classic Brooklyn film! Director Stephen Verona will be in attendance for a Q&A after the screening.

SYNOPSIS: David Rosen and his wife Becky have lived in the same Coney Island neighborhood for nearly all their married life. But the area is not what it used to be, and a gang leader named Strut has decided to make it his new turf.

FROM THE DIRECTOR: "In 1979 I made a film in Brighton Beach and Coney Island titled BOARDWALK - It starred Ruth Gordon, Lee Strasberg and Janet Leigh. It was photographed by Billy Williams (GANDHI and ON GOLDEN POND). It was a runaway success at the Cannes Film festival. We entered into a distribution agreement with Atlantic Releasing. The film opened December 1979. In a week the distributor had gone bankrupt, no fault of our film... Since then the film has languished in bankruptcy court and various film libraries. No one has seen it."

I think that the DEATH WISH II thread got me to thinking of this gem - it also has a certain WARRIORS / MANIAC atmosphere in parts due to its shared locations and late seventies bad neighbourhood vibe. The escalating levels of harassment bestowed on the elderly couple really unnerved me as a twelve year old viewing this late one Saturday night in 1981 and the power of this film has obviously stuck with me 'til this day. I remember going to school on the following Monday and hearing a mate who had seen it too over the weekend start chanting "Doum doum, the King" over and over. We shared an enthusiastic look of recognition of this shared experience and spent the rest of the day jabbering on about how just how bad-ass this flick was.

guthrie! - I have just googled TENEMENT - heard of it but never seen it - it looks like I will be catching this one in the near future - cheers.

Thanks to all who considered my request

Below is the BOARDWALK US one sheet poster + the scene on which it is based (which does little to impart the truly shocking and depressing nature of the film and looking like a Woody Allen moment):

[jayzus]

It premiered on Channel Four, sometime after 1982.

[django1963]

No probs mate,I remember it causing a bit of controversey here upon its theatrical release due to the subject matter.

It was also released on VHS by HOKUSHIN here in the UK,so you might find a copy @ your local booty if you are very very lucky!!

[Dave Jay]

Don't understand the director's assertion that Atlantic Releasing went bankrupt a week after releasing his film in 1979: they stayed in business until 1988 and most of the other titles they produced and/or distributed are freely available.

Mind you, that was one piss-poor poster they put together to sell the movie!